Card or label holder



Jan. 9, 1934. H. B. DOPPEL 1,943,168

CARD OR LABEL HOLDER Filed March 23, 1933 INVENTOR Fl/11w ATTORNEYJ @ateaitetfi Fan. 9, l

Wires stares garages TEN? @FFEQE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in holders for labels, price tickets, or other identifying indicia for use in connection with suitable cards and the like upon which the information sought to be conveyed is placed.

Devices of this general nature and for similar Purposes have heretofore been proposed. some of these have been made from wood, others from metal, but for the most part they were simply grooved mouldings into which cards of only one size could be inserted and at places where no card was placed a blank space or other unsightly area was left. In many instances the moulding was made concave, resulting in a weak, easily broken strip and the card placed therein assumed the appearance of being suspended in space or, if kept in contact with the backing, was so recessed as to be shaded and makereading difllcult. If, on the other hand, the card was substantially straight, there was no protecting backing to prevent its being damaged, loosened, bent or entirely displaced. a

It is, therefore, among the objects of this invention to provide a label holder suitable for use in libraries, cafeterias, and stores as well as for i ns, storage bins, exhibits, etc., in which the label card is convexly positioned and suitably supported at several points besides the ends and which presents a neat, attractive appearance even in those areas which are not covered by label cards.

Another object is the provision of a label holder in which unique effects can be secured through the use of labels of different sizes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a holder which is of itself strong and durable,

easily attached to the shelves, bins, or other fixtures in connection with which it is used and when in position adds to the attractiveness of the fixture whether furnished with label cards or not.

An additional object involves the provision of grooves, and ribs which securely hold the label card in a convex position and support it so that shocks, jars, orblows .even when directlyv on the face of the label card will not damage, loosen, shift or displace it.

To secure the above and other objects which will be apparent from the sequent description, I have provided a label holder in the gene 1 form of a moulding, at is, it is usually in lo relativehr narrow strips which may be cut into any desired lengths depending upon the place where the holder is to be used. My holder may be constructed of materials selected from those usually employed in this art such as wood or metal and in addition composition products formed by moulding as for example bakeli-te. In some instances, two or more materials may be combined in the manner well known to those skilled in the art. I prefer, however, to use wood since it is easily and cheaply obtainable, readily worked to the proper shape, and attachable to the fixture base with nails or screws. 1 I

Near the longitudinal edges of the strip are grooves into which the ends of the cards are inserted, The openings of these grooves extend generally toward the center. of the strip and at least one on each side is required. When it is desired to use label cards of more than one size, as for example when a dollar sign is made on a small card, the dollar figures on a large card and the cents on a small card, more than one groove is required on at least one side. By providing two or more grooves on each side, artistic and ornamental efiects may; be secured by a judicious selection of the size of the cards and their relative placement. Such results are not possible with the now known label holders where only a single size of label can be used. The many novel results possible through the use of the present invention will be more particularly considered in connection withthe subsequent detailed description.

I prefer to have the surface which extends from the bottom of the groove toward the center of the holder follow an arcuate path to furnish support to the label card.- This surface need not continue directly across to the opposite groove but may be and preferably is interrupted by other longitudinal grooves suitable for holding an end of a label, or finger grooves which assist in the ready removal of a label card. Additional grooves may be provided to form ribs or ridges for supporting the label card intermediate its ends.

These ribs or ridges between the grooves for holding the edge of the label cards are generally, though-not necessarily, provided with rounded crests which furnish a supporting surface for the cards and also act as strengthening ribs for the strip of label holder. The height of the ribs is limited by a smooth curve beginning at the bottom of the groove, following the arcuate sur face to determine its general contour and continuing to the opposite groove irrespective of intermediate grooves and ridges so that each crest and the arcuate surface beginning at the base of the grooves will all assist in supporting the card. The crests of the ribs should preferably all fall upon this smooth. curve.

If more than one card groove isprovided on either side, the surface extending toward the opposite groove should preferably begin in a smooth convex arcuate surface as above described. In some cases it may not be feasible to form this arcuate surface but wherever the general design permits, it should be used.

Attention is now directed to the drawing forming a part of the specification, in which are shown several modifications of the invention which should be considered as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a complete label holder constructed according to one embodiment of the invention, in which two grooves are provided on each side;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the label holder illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section showing the invention embodied in a shelf moulding;

Fig. 4 shows the invention embodied in a crown mouldingof the same type in which three grooves are provided on each side.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the label holder comprises a body member 1 which has a back portion depending upon the particular position in which the moulding is to be placed. If, for instance, it is to be used at the edge of a shelf,

a straight back 2 is provided. Where it is employed near the edge of but on a shelf, the backing is more substantial and the face of the moulding is diagonal to the two back surfaces 3 and 4 which are at right angles to each other. For 36 crown moulding the usual irregular type backing 5 is provided. On the surface of each of these modifications the structure is generally the same in that a substantial edge projection 6 is arranged at each side of the face. These edges 6 provide the external support for the card and give the holder inherent strength near the edges so that theyare noteasily broken. 0n the inner side of these projections a sharply declining surface 7 extends to the bottom of the groove 8. The surface 9 from the bottom of the groove extending away from this sharply declining surface follows a smooth arcuat'e curve beginning at the base of one groove 8 and extending to the opposite groove 8. This surface 9 continues for 60 only a short distance until it falls sharply as at 10 to the base of the second groove 11. In Figs. 2 and 3 the surface 15 continues away from the base of the groove 11 toward the center of theholder without rising very rapidly until it reaches the center reenforcing rib 12 which has a rounded crest. Thus, there is provided between the base of the groove 11 and the top of the rib 12 a relatively wide, although not particularly deep groove bounded at the bottom by the surface 15 into which the finger or a small instrument may be inserted to assist in the ready-removal of a card in place on the label holder. The crest of the rib 12 is on the path of the smooth curve beginning at the base of the groove 8 and 86 continuing in a convex arc to the base of the opposite groove 8. The label holder illustrated in Fig. 4 for a crown moulding. is of somewhat larger size than those illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and the surface 13 from the bottom of groove 11 extending toward the center of the moulding is similarly shaped to that of surface 9 and an additional groove 14 is thus secured.

In Fig. lthe front view uf the label is illustratedin connection with cards of three diiferent 76 sizes, the first, 20, is the smallest in size and ex tends between grooves 11. The card 22 is the largest in size and extends between grooves 8. The card 24 is of an intermediate size and extends from one groove 8 to an opposite groove 11.

By employing two sets of grooves such as those numbered Sand 11, it is possible to secure novel and attractive displays of words, figures, symbols, etc. Fig. 1 illustrates a display sign to indicate that the cost of an article in connection with which the price is displayed is $1.50; This is accomplished by providing the small card 20 with the insignia designating the dollar sign. Following this is the card 22 upon which is printed the numeral 1. This numeral to designate the number of dollars is relatively large and its card extends between the outermost grooves 8. On the card 24 is printed the number of cents and since this is usually more attractively shown as in small figures on a line considerably above the base of the dollar figures, a card of smaller size than that upon which the dollar figures are printed and slightly larger than that having the dollar insignia may be provided. This card extends between one groove 11 and the other groove 8. t

It will be obvious, of course, that many modifications of this may be secured to suit the individual tastes of the user or the particular indicla which is to be displayed by the label holder. In a library, for instance, it might be-desirable to print in relatively large type the general classification of the-books occurring on a particular shelf and these could therefore be placed on large cards which extend between the outermost grooves 8. Sub-classifications or headings could 110 be placed upon slightly smaller cards extending between one groove 8 and an opposite groove 11 and still further subdivisions or classifications upon the smallest size card extending between grooves 11. The cards which are used in con- 115 nection with the present label holder form no part of the present invention since they may be constructed in any manner known to the art as, for instance, of cardboard or metal, etc. The indiciasuch as letters, numerals, symbols and 120 the like can be applied to, printed upon or fixed to the cards in any well known manner.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with respect to particular modifications thereof, these are not to be considered as limiting but rather as illustrative, and the invention is to belimited only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. li label holder of the class described comprising a body member, longitudinal grooves for holding the edges of a label, and a reenforeing rib parallel to and centrally disposed between said grooves provided with a crest limited by a smooth curve following the convex path which the label would assume when placed in position in the holder.

2. A label or card holder of the class described, comprising a body member provided with parallel, longitudinally extending card-holding 1 grooves, and a centrally disposed, longitudinally extending stiil'ening rib, located parallel to and between the card holding grooves, the centrally disposed central rib and that part of the body which forms one of the longitudinal grooves defining between them a space forming afinger groove useful in placing and removing the cards.

3. A label holder of the class described comprising a body member, longitudinal grooves for holding the edges of a label, a convex arcuate surrace extending from the bottom of each groove toward the opposite groove and a reenIorcing rib positioned centrally between said arcuate surfaces, the rib being defined by grooves cut in the body member on either side of the rib, the rib being provided with a crest limited by a smooth curve between said grooves following and directed by the arcuate surfaces.

4..A label holder of the class described comprising a body member, more than two longitudinal grooves for holding the edges of a label whereby labels of at least two different sizes may be inserted into the holder and a centrally disposed reenforcing rib parallel to and between two of said grooves provided with a crest limited by a smooth curve following the convex path which the label would assume when placed in position in the holder.

5. A label or card holder of the class described comprising a body member provided with two pairs of longitudinally extending, card-holding grooves, one pair near each longitudinal edge of the holder, whereby cards of three different sizes are readily held in said grooves, the holder being further provided with a centrally disposed longitudinally extending stiffening rib, parallel to the grooves. and projecting outwardly towards cards held in the grooves.

6. A label holder of the class described, com prising a body portion having longitudinally extending groove-forming members near each edge thereof, and having a stiffening and strengthening rib placed parallel to and arranged centrally between the groove-forming members, the rib projecting outwardly toward or against the underside of a card or label held in the grooves of the groove-forming members.

7. A label holder of the class described, comprising a body portion having at least three longitudinally extending groove=forming members near the edges thereof, and a longitudinally extending stiffening rib, paralleling the grooveforming members and positioned centrally between them, and extending for a substantial distance outwardly toward the underside of a card or label held by and between two of the grooveforming members, the rib and the adjacent groove-forming member defining between them a space into which a finger or a tool may be inserted for removing the card or label.

8. A label holder of the class described, comprising a body portion having two pairs of longitudinally extending groove-forming members, and a longitudinally extending stiffening and strengthening rib positioned centrally between the two pairs of groove-forming members, and extending outwardly toward the underside of a card or label held in the grooves, the provision of the two pairs of groove-forming members enabling the holder to hold cards or labels 01' three different sizes.

HARRY B. DOPPEL. 

